


Kismet

by preusterreich



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future Fish, Alternate Universe - Splash Free, Character Death In Dream, M/M, Samurai, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-03
Updated: 2015-08-03
Packaged: 2018-04-12 20:33:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4493763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/preusterreich/pseuds/preusterreich
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rei's subconscious mind has destined him to die over and over again.</p><p>Written for SASO Main Round 1.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kismet

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone!~ This is my entry for SASO Main Round 1, and it's the one we (team rinrei) submitted. We made it into a four-way tie for the final spot in the second phase of voting, but unfortunately, we didn't make it past that. :((((((
> 
> "Dreams" was the prompt.
> 
> Anyway, now I can post it for everyone to enjoy!~ There are also some [illustrations by starsbegantofall on tumblr](http://starsbegantofall.tumblr.com/post/125296012154/in-case-you-had-absolutely-no-idea-and-just-could) that go along with this fic! Make sure to check them out!

Samurai warriors were supposed to be more than capable of defending Japan from threats both internal and external, but Rei's finely-honed skills had fallen short that day; he had been fatally wounded. The air grew murky and thick around him; it became more difficult to draw in each passing breath. His eyes slipped shut as the darkness closed in to take him. Suddenly, he heard an anguished wail, ripping him back from the brink of consciousness. The figure wrapped his arms about Rei's bloodied chest and cried.

"Rei, please don't leave me!" the man sobbed into Rei's torn clothing, his long hair fanning out across the breeze.

Rei felt his heart being torn to shreds, weakening with each thumping beat as he tried desperately to keep his composure. He reached up to caress the man's cheek, his touch light and airy.

"I'm only happy..." he drew in a stuttering breath. "that you are safe." Even breathing was becoming a chore. "Please... get away from here..."

But the man did not leave him, sobbing and cradling Rei until he lost consciousness.

His eyes flew open, and suddenly Rei was back in his own bed. The terrifying nightmare left him trembling, a cold sweat dampening his skin. He realized that this had only been a dream, but the terror and melancholic feeling that remained were very real. This was the night after his first day of the samurai history unit in class. Rei was just ten.

The dream came and went frequently, perhaps about once a month, and each time it did come, it gave him that same horrific fluttering in his heart and had him feeling upset for days. Not only did his life leave him every time the dream resurfaced, he also felt like he had let someone down that he cared about dearly - like he had been lost to his best friend and left him alone in the world.

He informed his mother about his recurring nightmare. She wrapped her arms around him in comfort and insisted that children often have frequent nightmares, and even though it was scary, it was only a dream, and dreams couldn't hurt him. This was only partially true. Physically, Rei was fine, but the emotional suffering he had endured was real. Rei was exhausted, and he hated the feeling it gave him.

The nightmare eventually started to come less frequently - about once every three months or so - until Rei was twelve.

One day during the summer, there was an Arabian-themed documentary that Rei happened to watch on television, and they showed a soldier kneeling before his sultan before going into battle. Rei was mesmerized by the rich clothing and stunning jewelry the actors wore; it was truly a sight to behold. Once the documentary finished, Rei researched ancient middle eastern culture for hours, marveling at the history and scientific advances that the countries of the area had produced.

Due to his extensive research, that night Rei dreamt of being a soldier in an ancient Arabian army. His military regalia was the same one he had seen in the documentary, and the sultan that stood before the army wore the same luscious robes that the actor on television had donned. The sultan delivered a rousing speech against the sprawling red sky in a warbled voice that Rei couldn't really understand, but he still felt rather inspired by the address. As the battle commenced, Rei drew his sabre and charged into the siege, feeling powerful and competent in his fighting abilities. He fought valiantly, but nearing the end of the sequence, that awful, familiar feeling of panic crept over his senses, causing him to let his guard down and falter. Rei had hoped this new dream would be his safe space from his recurring dream deaths, but in that instant, Rei fell to his knees, an unfamiliar warmth spreading over his stomach.  
Rei didn't look at it; he knew what it was. The enemy soldier standing over him with a bloody blade in his hand was hint enough.

A deafening roar, almost inhuman, tore through the air, and a curved sabre emerged from the man's stomach, run through from behind. The enemy soldier that had struck Rei fell, clutching his wound, to the ground before him. Sweat dripped from Rei's brow as he gaped at the scene his unconscious mind had conjured. The attacker's body seemed to dissolve into the sand as Rei watched, panting and fighting to pull air into his lungs.

"Rei! Please hang on!"

The man that had killed his attacker wore the sultan's robes. Rei tried to lift his head to face his sultan and savior, but his body grew weaker each second. He fell forward into the ready embrace, and he felt tears on his neck.

"Please Rei... stay with me." the sultan whispered into his ear as he stroked Rei's hair, trying desperately to keep him on the mortal plane.

Rei's vision faded into black as his sultan held him and wept.

Jarred from the dream, Rei laid stock still on his back staring at the ceiling. Being older and more mature than he was when the previous nightmares had plagued him, he didn't feel quite so terrified by this dream. He liked to think that he was not scared at all, but that was a lie; he still had a horrible unease wash over him at the thought of letting down that figure he had grown so accustomed to seeing in his dreams - even if the figure was mysterious and indistinct. Rei knew that was insane because, like his mother had said, it was just a dream. He didn't want to feel so upset letting down this nondescript dream figure, but his reaction was incredibly pervasive.

Rei never mentioned these dreams to his mother, preferring to keep them quiet. He didn't experience this particular dream as often as he did the other one, but now his sleeping brain had two to choose from and would show him either the samurai one or the Arabian one at random. Rei knew immediately when he was falling into either dream, but he could never seem to break the cycle of them. The dream would always end with the hidden man holding his lifeless body and weeping into his tattered clothing, and he would wake feeling an immense sadness that made him want to cry.

When Rei entered high school, his life grew infinitely more stressful. He had gotten to that point in his life where people expected him to have an idea about the career path that he would follow for the rest of his life. Not like he hadn't given it thought, but to choose now? That was rather daunting.

Rei excelled in science and adored method and order. He was always in pursuit of knowledge and higher learning, and there was only one thing he could see himself doing for the rest of his life - science. Rei thought it would be quite fulfilling to be a scientist, learning and discovering something new everyday. Pure heaven in Rei's opinion.

But, as always, everything Rei took pleasure in had to be completely destroyed by his subconscious mind while he slept.

In this dream, Rei viewed himself from outside his body. He was laid on a sterile hospital bed, his hair messy and tubes running in and out of his body. The constant beep of the heart monitor was no reassurance to him. There were dozens of flowers on the side table next to the bed, but Rei couldn't read any of the names, all nonsensical gibberish in characters that certainly weren't Japanese, although one looked like it was written in English. While Rei knew how to understand English characters during his waking hours, when he tried to read these, he found that he couldn't understand them any longer. He stared at them, puzzled.

The door to the room creaked open inwards, and a man entered slowly. He was wearing a policeman's uniform, but his hat was clutched in his nervous grip. He strode into the room quietly and sat in the chair next to the bed. Rei watched in silence as the same figure that had haunted his dreams for the past five years once again took hold of his subconscious mind. Though the man was still rough around the edges, details fluttering in and out of his vision like butterflies, this was the first time that Rei was able to see him with any sort of clarity. Unfortunately, Rei didn't recognize him.

"That lab accident really did a number on you, didn't it Rei?" the man chuckled weakly, grasping Rei's hand in his own. His eyes grew misty as he hunched over Rei's still body, the heart monitor's slow beeping keeping him from breaking down completely. "Please wake up soon." He rested his head on the edge of the hospital bed for a moment before a second police officer poked his head in through the doorway. This man was also no one Rei knew.

"Hey, we gotta go. Possible DUI, we'd better check it out."

Rei's dream figure sighed and released his hand halfheartedly, standing and moving to join his partner by the door.

"Okay, let's get outta here. As much as I miss him, I can't stand being in this hospital." he confessed.

The second man laid a hand on the first one's shoulder in comfort. "I know you miss him a lot; I do too, but we can't keep sulking. All we can do is hope that he wakes up." The two men left the room, shutting the door behind them. The dream started to break apart at the seams and eventually faded to black.

Rei opened his eyes slowly, waking from the dream differently than he had the others. The feeling he was left with from this dream was a little peculiar compared to the others. Where the others made Rei feel bad for abandoning the figure in his head, this one made him feel abandoned. He now knew how the dream man felt(which Rei knew was insane), and for the first time due to the dreams, he cried.

Though he had finally seen the dream man's face and distinguishing features, the details had vacated Rei's mind by the time he had dried his eyes.

That dream didn't come again.

\--

When Rei started his second year of high school and joined the swim club, the dreams stopped altogether. Swimming with his new friends helped take his mind away from how much those dreams used to affect his life. He shared a lot of his life with his new friends(Nagisa in particular, he seemed very nosy), but never the things he went through many nights as a young teenager. All four were always ready to listen to any problems he may have, but seeing as the dreams had finally stopped, Rei didn't see it as something that needed to be discussed. In fact, he started to forget about them all together.

Instead, he worked hard with his team in an attempt to reach the national competition, until an old friend of the other three Iwatobi boys started causing some trouble for the team, almost ruining Haruka's desire to swim.

Nagisa called him 'Rin-chan', and his appearance was truly striking.

He was the same height as Rei, with blood-red hair, pointed teeth, and wine-coloured eyes. He seemed to be jealous of Rei and how much time he got to spend with the Iwatobi boys. Rei finally confronted him one day at Samezuka Academy, demanding to know the reason why he seemed to hate his old teammates. Rin tousled with him for a moment, then brushed him off and retreated back onto Samezuka Academy. A sharp feeling of loss permeated through Rei; he felt sorry for Rin. He had lost his friends and team in one quick slice, and his spot had been usurped by Rei.

Rin's actions caused the team a lot of anguish, but when prefecturals came and Rin had also lost his spot on the Samezuka team, Rei knew the right thing to do was allow Rin the chance to swim with his friends again, even if it meant they would all be disqualified. Rei knew that loss well; it had plagued him for years in his dreams, and even though Rin was acting like an ass, Rei knew that if he could spare one person from that awful feeling he had experienced prior, it was the right thing to do.

They were all disqualified from the tournament, but on that day, Rin and Rei's relationship took a dramatic turn. Rin constantly tried to repay Rei for the sacrifice he had made, even though he had reassured Rin that there was nothing that needed to be done.

"Please, let me do something for you! Anything!"

"Well, there is one thing I could use some assistance with."

That's how Rei began his nightly swimming lessons with Rin, and this was the start of a friendship neither Rin nor Rei saw coming. The two boys started out rough, confrontational and snappy, but they grew very close during their lessons.

They found that they had a great deal in common, both being smart and athletically inclined, but where Rei embraced his nerdy side, Rin kept his quiet, focusing instead on his athleticism. Rei frequently got top marks in class, but his skills on the field, while obviously not awful, could be improved upon. He got too far into his head at times and forgot to focus on the task at hand. Rin helped him snuff that out.

Rei frequently helped Rin study, and his attentions really proved useful in boosting Rin's marks. He went from an 80 percent average to a 93 percent average.

After a particularly intense study session with Rin a few weeks after their swimming lessons had ceased, Rei collapsed into bed when he got home, absolutely exhausted. He fell asleep almost instantly. During his slumber, he was revisited by all three of his old nightmares, except this time around, Rei didn't awake at the end of a dream; they all ran together one after the other like a marathon, and the mysterious figure was no longer shrouded in a grey cloud of nothingness. Now, he was clear as day, and Rei recognized him immediately.

His fellow samurai warrior, holding him and weeping as his life ebbed away; the Arabian sultan with tanned skin and extravagant jewelry slaying his attacker in rage; and the policeman visiting his bedside in hopes of him waking to the image of someone who cared about him; all of them were the same figure, now visible in perfect clarity as the boy who he had grown so close to over the past few months.

Rin.

Rei shot up from his bed as the last dream sequence ended, clutching the front of his pajama top in a shaky grip, panting hard. His heart pounded in his chest as Rei glanced at the clock.

5:47am.

At least it was late enough for Rei to get out of bed; he didn't want to fall back asleep and risk facing those dreams again. Before, Rei swore they were just random, seeing as the figure was generic, but having Rin placed into that position was terrifying.

Was he harbouring subconscious feelings for Rin? Rei didn't even know, but for some reason his mind was fixated on the boy, and may have been for years before they had ever met. Rei had no ideas or theories regarding this. He did some research online, but everything he found was related to imagery and pseudo-science, so he didn't put much stock into it.

Rei now grew anxious in Rin's presence, because he didn't understand why his mind had suddenly decided to include his new friend in such a meaningful position, though he had to admit that he had been thinking about Rin a lot since then.

The dreams continued starring Rin even after he had graduated and left Iwatobi. Rei, Nagisa, and Gou still kept in frequent contact with all three older boys, Makoto and Haruka in Tokyo and Rin in Australia. Rin was due for a visit soon and they used Skype to confirm dates, all getting together for a three-way video call with Makoto and Haruka in one image, Rin in the second one, and Rei, Nagisa, and Gou in the third.

After exchanging greetings, they began on small talk, and Nagisa was very interested in what Australia was like for Rin. Rei noticed that he seemed to be obsessed with koalas, and wanted nothing more than for Rin to sneak one back to Japan for him. Rin refused this request constantly.

"Okay, then if you won't bring me a koala, you have to come see a movie with me when you visit! There's one coming out that sounds really cool!"

"Oh yeah? What's it about?" Rin inquired.

Nagisa bounced in his seat between Rei and Gou. "It's about samurai warriors!"

Rin suddenly waved a hand in front of the camera. "No." was his simple reply.

Nagisa slumped over onto Rei, a pout carved on his face. "Aww, why not, Rin-chan? Samurai are so cool! I wish I could be a samurai!"

"I just don't like samurai movies." He shook his head. "Sorry Nagisa, you'll have to count me out."

Makoto's head tilted curiously as he watched the screen and the little box with Rin inside, pondering. "Rin, would you mind if I ask why you don't like samurai?"

Rin flushed red. "Uhh, I'd rather not say, you guys will laugh and think I'm stupid."

Nagisa leaned in close to the camera. "No way, Rin-chan! I won't laugh, I promise! Please?" Not a soul in the world could resist Nagisa's puppy dog eyes.

Rin sighed. "Fine, but I don't want to hear a peep of laughter out of anyone, okay?"

Rei smiled and nodded, acknowledging the request, and Nagisa spread his arms wide as though he wanted to hug Rin in comfort through the screen. Gou just sat waiting for the explanation she had heard before. Makoto nodded gently, but Haruka's expression didn't change.

"No promises." Haruka replied.

"Haru!" Makoto cried. He sighed and looked back at the screen. "He's just kidding, Rin!"  
"I should have known that was coming from you, Haru." Rin groaned.

Nagisa wiggled in this seat, impatience growing. "Rin-chaaaaan!" he whined.

"Okay, okay, fine." he conceded. He drew in a deep breath. "When I was about ten, I used to have these recurring dreams, more like nightmares actually, and one of them involved samurai."  
Rei felt the blood drain from his face, but he kept quiet as Nagisa jumped next to him.

"Wow, Rin-chan, were you a samurai in your dream?"

Rin rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I was."

Rei shifted nervously in his seat, growing increasingly interested in Rin's story. Nagisa knocked into him as he rested his chin in his hands on the desk.

"Why were the dreams scary then? Did you die?"

Gou placed a hand on Nagisa's shoulder, trying to reel him in a bit. "Nagisa-kun, don't pressure him."

"No, it's alright Gou. I think I should finally get it off my chest. And no, Nagisa, I didn't die in my dream."

Makoto jumped in with a question. "Were you in a battle?"

"Yeah, and during that battle, one of my fellow warriors died, and the dream always ended with me cradling his lifeless body. I was really young so it scared me a lot, and it always made me feel really sad." Rin looked down at his hands.

"Who was the warrior who died?" Makoto asked gently.

Rin's eyes snapped up to meet Makoto's. "Uh, n-no one we know. He was just a random shape most of the time."

Rei listened so intently to Rin that he didn't realize what a ridiculously shocked face he was making into the camera.

But Haruka noticed.

"Rei, why are you making that face?" he asked, catching Rei off-guard and causing him to sputter, all eyes now on him.

"Uhh, I-It's just that... those dreams..." he stuttered and trailed off, blushing.

A warm smile graced Makoto's features. "Don't be shy, Rei. You can tell us."

He glanced quickly at Rin's video feed on the screen, and Rin seemed just as shocked as Rei had been seconds ago. Rei suddenly found his courage.

"I have a constantly reappearing dream like that too, where I'm a samurai in a battle, but in my dream..." he hunched his shoulders, tucking into himself as the other five waited in anticipation. "I'm the one who dies."

The room was completely silent until Nagisa squealed, "Wow Rei-chan, you and Rin-chan have the same dreams! That's so cool!"

Rin spoke up. "Wait! Rei, have you ever had a dream about being an Arabian soldier during a battle and then you get attacked and the king comes and kills your attacker? Or a dream about being in the hospital in a coma after a lab accident?"

Rei shot up from his seat. "Yes Rin-san! You had those recurring dreams as well?"

Gou gasped sharply, her hands flying up to cover her mouth as she captured the conversation's attention.

"What is it, Gou-chan?" Makoto interjected.

"I remember something from when Rin was young! When he first had these dreams, he spent a lot of time researching the meanings, and one website he found of dream legends said that sometimes two people will share dreams from opposite points of view, and those people are supposed to be soulmates!"

Everyone was quiet as the information processed. Rin was the first to speak.

"Soulmates? Me and this nerd?"

"Ohh, isn't that romantic?" Gou sang, turning to Nagisa.

"Yeah, super cute! I'm happy for you two!"

Rin was blushing deeply. "What!? B-But that's just a myth!"

"Rin-san?"

"What?"

"Perhaps I should mention that even though my dream figure was also cloudy and grey like yours," His next line was quiet as he looked into Rin's image on the screen. "after I met you, mine was no longer faceless."

Rin froze, and tears threatened to fall. "Rei... Mine was like that too. After our swimming sessions, the man in my dreams turned into you." he sniffled, wiping at his eyes. "But you know what? I think it was always you, my brain just didn't understand it at the time. Does that mean we really are soulmates?"

Rei flushed up to his ears. "It's entirely possible, Rin-san."

The chat was silent for a moment as they forgot the others were even there, watching one another on the screen.

"Wait," Makoto said. "Did Rin and Rei just start dating?"

Nagisa and Gou bounced excitedly. "Yeah!! Rin-chan and Rei-chan are going to date!" Nagisa exclaimed. "Please!?"

"Nagisa, that's entirely up to Rin and Rei." Makoto chided.

Rin chuckled. "Actually, I'm going to let Rei decide." Rin's words echoed what he had told Rei during their swimming lessons at Samezuka when Rei had asked if they were friends or rivals.  
Rei thought for a moment, weighing the pros and cons quickly in his mind as he always did. 

Finding far more pros than cons, he smiled shyly and quickly nodded, accepting their new status as boyfriends.

Cheers erupted from Nagisa and Gou. Makoto congratulated them both and Haruka even extended his well wishes.

"You'll have to count me out of a lot of activities when I visit now; I'm gonna being spending a lot of time with Rei."

"No, Rin-chan!"

\--

That night Rin and Rei each had another dream, but this one was completely new - never before experienced by either of them. In this one, they both sat on the beach during a sunset, looking out over the water with their hands entwined.

A quick Skype conversation confirmed that this dream was indeed shared.


End file.
